Bee

Official Number
3397

The Bee was a two-masted schooner built at Ulverston in February 1841 by Petty & Postlethwaite. Initially she was owned in Ulverston, her shareholders including her builders and members of the Roper family. There are numerous entries for this vessel in Ulverston Harbour records, which show her cargoes and destination.

In 1852 the Bee sailed between Newport, Glasgow, Ulverston and Liverpool. Her crew were:

Isaac Myers, age 39, born Ulverston, ticket no.43748, Master
James [B?]ast, age 23, born Ulverston, ticket no.63733, Mate
William Dixon, age 26, born Ulverston, ticket no.40779, Seaman
   (the three named above joined this vessel 1st January 1852 all having previously served on the Agnes of Ulverston)
William Dixon, age 26, born Ulverston, ticket no. 40779 joined as Mate on 1st July 1852 (date of the previous Mate leaving is not recorded)
William Gardner, age 18, born Ulverston, ticket no. 535934, Seaman, joined 1st July 1852

In 1861 the managing owner of the Bee was James Ormandy Rigg. The schooner's registry was transferred from Lancaster to Bridgwater 1898. Her career ended in 1912, when she was removed from the shipping register.

Name Year Built Gross Tons Length (feet) Breadth (feet) Depth (feet) Masts Figurehead Stern Lloyd's Classn.
Bee  1841 60       2      

Sources :

  1. Information from Peter Sandbach, from Lancaster Shipping Register (microfilm at Cumbria Record Office, Barrow) and Ulverston Harbour records (at Ulverston Heritage Centre).
  2. Crew Lists & Agreements for Lancaster, 1852,  National Archives, Kew, ref.BT98/2981 - research by Philip Holmes
  3. Isaac Myers was still Master in 1855 - Crew Lists and Agreements (BT98/4185) at the National Archives, Kew - research by Philip Holmes.
  4. Clayton's Register of Shipping 1865: Bee, schooner, 53 tons, built 1841, official no.3397, owned by Petty & Postlethwaite, of Ulverston, registered at Lancaster.
  5. Mercantile Navy List 1867: Bee, 53 tons, official number 3397, signal letters HTDL, owned by Henry Holmes, of Ulverstone, registered at Lancaster.
  6. Mercantile Navy List 1880: Bee, schooner, 44 tons, built at Ulverstone in 1841, official number 3397, signal letters HTDL, owned by James Ormandy Rigg, of Ulverston, registered at Lancaster.
  7. Closure of British Registry in National Archives, ref.BT110/251/2.